Cage for transporting and stunning livestock

ABSTRACT

A cage is provided for holding and transporting livestock. The cage includes a door with a horizontal top rod that slides along a top member of a side grate when opening and closing the door. The cage also includes four lifting lugs to assist in the moving of the cages. Also provided is a method of loading livestock into such a cage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/092,657, filed Mar. 7, 2002, now issued U.S.Pat. No. 6,694,918, the entire content of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to the butchering of livestock, and moreparticularly to the transporting, stunning, and slaughtering oflivestock.

[0003] Generally, livestock, for example poultry, is raised at onelocation and butchered at another. Most of the current and traditionalmeans for transporting and stunning poultry involve much manual physicallabor. Some have attempted to reduce the labor involved, and others haveattempted to reduce the expense of transporting livestock, but they havefailed to achieve both objectives. Current transportation and handlingof livestock is inefficient and labor intensive. In addition,traditional methods of handling and transporting live animals have ledto bruising of the meat of the animals. This is undesirable as theappearance and quality of the meat is very important to the consumerpurchasing it. Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive automated systemfor transporting livestock from where the livestock is raised to whereit is butchered. There is also a need for an apparatus that can be usedin such an automated system that is inexpensive to manufacture and easyto use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention is a cage for holding and transportinglivestock and includes a cage frame that provides the general structureand shape of the cage. The cage frame defines an opening at one end ofthe cage and a cavity near its bottom. A door is included and sized togenerally fit in the opening. The door has a bottom portion and a tophorizontal rod, and is adapted to prevent livestock from exiting theopening when in a closed position. The cage also includes a memberattached to the frame along which the top horizontal rod rides when thedoor is opened. The cavity in the cage frame is adapted to receive thebottom portion of the door when the door is in the closed position sothat the door will not open unintentionally.

[0005] Another aspect of the present invention is a cage for holding andtransporting livestock including a frame that provides the generalstructure and shape of the cage and defines an opening at one end of thecage. It also includes at least one door adjacent the opening with thedoor having a bottom. A cradle is attached to the frame and is adaptedto receive the bottom of the door to hold the door open when the bottomof the door nests in the cradle.

[0006] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method ofloading livestock into a cage, comprising the steps of: (a) providing acage including a frame having a front and a lower cavity, a dooradjacent the front of the cage in an initial position, the door havingtop horizontal rod at the top of the door, the door also having a bottomand a cradle attached to the frame, the door being in an initialposition with the bottom of the door in the lower cavity; (b) openingthe door by motivating the top of the door rearwardly sufficient to pullthe bottom of the door out of the lower cavity; (c) placing the bottomof the door in the cradle to hold the door in the open position; (d)loading livestock into the cage; and (e) returning the door to itsinitial position.

[0007] These and other features, advantages, and objects of the presentinvention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art by reference to the following specification, claims, andappended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cage for transportinglivestock of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2A is a front elevational view of the door of the cage ofFIG. 1;

[0010]FIG. 2B is a top plan view of the top horizontal bar of the door;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the cage of FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view of the cage of FIG. 1with the door in the closed position;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational view of the cage of FIG. 1with the door partially opened;

[0014]FIG. 6 is a partial side elevational view of the cage of FIG. 1with the door retracted;

[0015]FIG. 7 is a partial side elevational view of the cage of FIG. 1 atan angle with the door opened;

[0016]FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the cage of FIG. 1;

[0017]FIG. 9A is a cut-away top plan view of a corner of the cage ofFIG. 1; and

[0018]FIG. 9B is a cut-away side elevational view showing the stackingarrangement of two cages of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,”“right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” andderivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 3,the front of the cage facing out from the printed page. However, it isto be understood that the invention may assume various alternativeorientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It isalso to be understood that the specific devices and processesillustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the followingdescription, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive conceptsdefined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions or otherphysical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed hereinare not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly stateotherwise.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, cage 10 includes two doors 12 made of metalwire mesh, one at each end of cage 10. Cage 10 further includes a solidtop 14, a solid bottom 16, and a floor 17 resting on bottom 16. Door 12(FIG. 2) includes a top horizontal rod 18, a bottom rod 20, and aplurality of vertical wire rods 22 that are attached, preferably welded,to both horizontal top rod 18 and bottom rod 20 to form door 12. Forsupport, two horizontal wire rods 24, which are the same orapproximately the same diameter and cross section as vertical wire rods22, are attached across vertical wire rods 22, preferably by welding.Bottom rod 20 is bent upward and then again to horizontal to form an“S”-like configuration at each of its ends for ease of maneuverabilityand use. FIG. 2B shows a top view of top horizontal rod 18. At each end,top horizontal rod 18 has a bend that is generally perpendicular to itslongitudinal axis, and another bend back to parallel with itslongitudinal axis to form an “S”-like configuration at its ends similarto those of bottom rod 20. As shown in FIG. 2A, the end portions of tophorizontal rod 18 extend horizontally beyond the remainder of door 12.

[0021]FIG. 3 shows the front of cage 10, including a frame 26 and door12. Frame 26 provides the general shape and size of the cage and is madeof a rigid and durable material such as steel. Cage 10 also includesfour lifting lugs 28, two near each end, for use in lifting the cage offof a stack of cages or off a tractor-trailer bed. One lifting lug 28,having a hole 30 therein is attached to the frame 26 near each corner ofcage 10. FIG. 4 is a partial view of the cage from the side, showingmost of the components thereof. Attached to frame 26 is a wire meshgrate 32 that generally encloses one section of one side of cage 10.Wire mesh grate 32 includes a plurality of vertical rods 34, horizontalrods 36, and a top member 38. The end of top horizontal rod 18 of thedoor 12 rests on top member 38. Frame 26 has a cut-out portion near itsbottom that defines a channel 40. The bottom of doors 12, includingbottom rod 20, rests inside channel 40 when door 12 is in the closedposition, as in FIG. 4.

[0022] In operation, when loading livestock into cage 10, the top ofdoor 12 is forced rearwardly, either manually (such as by hand) or by anautomated system that can apply the requisite force to push the toprearwardly. Top horizontal rod 18 of door 12 rides along top member 38on both sides of cage 10 and when moved rearwardly, the bottom of door12 is pulled out of channel 40, as shown in FIG. 5. The next step of theoperation for loading is to pull the bottom of door 12 upwardly and pushthe top of door 12 rearwardly along the top member 38. When the top ofdoor 12 is pushed back far enough, the bottom rod 20 of door 12 can beplaced in one or more cradles 42 attached to frame 18 (see FIG. 6).Placing bottom rod in cradle 42 holds the door in the open position sothat the livestock can then be loaded into cage 10 by whatever meansdesired. After the livestock is loaded, bottom rod 20 is pulled out ofcradles 42 and the door is closed, reversing the steps above for openingthe door 12. The bottom of door 12 is put in channel 40 and the cage isnow ready to be transported.

[0023] Once the desired location is reached, to unload the livestock,door 12 is again opened to the position shown in FIG. 5. The cage canthen be tilted, as shown in FIG. 7, whereupon door 12 will swing openaway from the front of cage 10 allowing the livestock to exit cage 10due to gravity.

[0024] Another feature of cage 10 is the bend in top member 38 leaving agap 44, as shown in FIG. 5. The bend in top member 38 is such that thegap 44 is sized so that the top horizontal rod 18 of door 12 can fittherein and when maintenance is needed on door 12, the entire door canbe pulled out through the side of cage 10.

[0025]FIG. 8 shows a side view of the entire cage of the presentinvention. An opening 46 is left between each wire mesh grate 32 andfloor 17, so that the cage can be easily cleaned, such as with a hose,after the livestock is unloaded, to remove feces, feathers, and otherdebris. FIGS. 9A and 9B show the general size and spatial relationshipof lifting lugs 28 on cage 10. Lifting lugs 28 are sized so that whentwo cages are stacked as shown in FIG. 9B, there is a vertical spacebetween them, thereby allowing automatic destacking if such means areavailable. Cage 10 also includes two lips 48, one on either side. Lip 48prevents the cages 10 from sliding off of one another when stacked. Thecage of the present invention is designed so that at least five cagescan be stacked from top to bottom and transported on a tractor-trailerbed from one location to another.

[0026] The above description is considered that of the preferredembodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to thoseskilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention.Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown above are merelyfor illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of theinvention, which is defined by the following claims as interpretedaccording to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine ofequivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A cage for holding and transportinglivestock comprising: a frame that provides the general structure andshape of the cage, the frame defining at least one opening at one end ofthe cage and a cavity near the bottom of the cage; at least one doorsized to generally fit in the at least one opening, having a bottomportion and a top horizontal rod and adapted to prevent livestock fromexiting the at least one opening when the door is in a closed position;a member attached to the frame along which the top horizontal rod of theat least one door rides when the at least one door is opened; and thecavity in the frame being adapted to receive the bottom portion of theat least one door when the door is in the closed position so that the atleast one door will not open unintentionally.
 2. The cage defined inclaim 1 wherein the top horizontal rod of the at least one door has ashaft portion with a longitudinal axis, and a first end having alongitudinal axis that is different from the longitudinal axis of theshaft portion.
 3. The cage defined in claim 2 and further comprising atleast one lifting lug with a hole therein.
 4. The cage defined in claim3 wherein the cage comprises four lifting lugs.
 5. The cage defined in 4wherein the four lifting lugs are each sized so that when the cages arestacked, there is a vertical gap between the lifting lugs of a firstcage and the lifting lugs of a second cage directly above or below thefirst cage.
 6. The cage defined in claim 1 and further comprising atleast one cradle attached to the frame near the top of the at least oneopening and adapted to receive the bottom of the at least one door. 7.The cage defined in claim 1 wherein the cage includes a grate with anupper member that is shaped such that the at least one door can beremoved from the cage.
 8. A cage for holding and transporting livestock,comprising: a frame that provides the general structure and shape of thecage, the frame defining at least one opening at one end of the cage; atleast one door adjacent the at least one opening and having a bottom;and at least one cradle attached to the frame and adapted to receive thebottom of the at least one door to hold the door open when the bottom ofthe at least one door rests in the at least one cradle.
 9. The cagedefined in claim 8 and further including a side grate with a top memberand wherein the at least one door includes a horizontal top rod, aportion of which is engaged with the top member.
 10. The cage defined inclaim 9 wherein the at least one cradle is two cradles.
 11. The cagedefined in claim 10 and further including a cavity in the bottom of theframe adapted to receive the bottom of the door when the door is in theclosed position.
 12. The cage defined in claim 8 wherein the at leastone cradle is two cradles.
 13. The cage defined in claim 8 and furtherincluding a cavity in the bottom of the frame adapted to receive thebottom of the door when the door is in the closed position.
 14. A methodof loading livestock into a cage comprising the steps of: (a) providinga cage including a frame having a front and a lower cavity, a dooradjacent the front of the cage, the door having a top and a bottom, anda cradle attached to the frame, the door being in an initial positionwith the bottom of the door in the lower cavity; (b) opening the door bymotivating the top of the door rearwardly sufficient to pull the bottomof the door out of the lower cavity of the frame; (c) placing the bottomof the door in the cradle to hold the door in the open position; (d)loading livestock into the cage; and (e) returning the door to itsinitial position.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the cage includes aside grate with a top member, the door having a top horizontal rod atthe top of the door, the top horizontal rod in engagement with the topmember of the side grate.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step ofreturning the door to its initial position includes pulling the bottomof the door out of the cradle by hand.
 17. The method of claim 16wherein the step of returning the door to its initial position furtherincludes placing the bottom of the door into the lower cavity by hand.18. A cage for holding and transporting livestock comprising: a framethat provides a general structure and shape of the cage, the framedefining at least one opening at one end of the cage and a cavity nearthe bottom of the cage; at least one door sized to generally fit in theat least one opening, having a bottom portion in a top bar and adaptedto prevent livestock from exiting the at least one opening when the dooris in a closed position; at least one cradle attached to the frame nearthe top of the at least one opening and adapted to receive the bottom ofthe at least one door; an elongated member attached to the frame alongwhich the top bar of the at least one door slides when the at least onedoor is opened; a grate with an upper member that is shaped such thatthe at least one door can be removed from the cage; and the cavity andthe frame being adapted to receive the bottom portion of the at leastone door when the door is in closed position so that the at least onedoor will not open unintentionally.